The exhibition is presented at the Polivalente Hall and the Temporary Exhibition Hall, and it is curated by Ligia Alfonso. This show, beyond a tribute to the artist and acknowledge his importance on the Portuguese art through his work. His work begins to have significance in the late 70′s with his paintings about articulated and mutable objects.

Jorge Varanda was born in Luanda in 1953 and died in 2008. His work was tremendously versatile and eclectic in the arts. He began his career as a painter and sculptor in the context of a traditional art and was experimenting with different media within the course of his career, reaching the digital age and smart technology.

He always used a playful approach in his creations, which printed his dry humor, irreverent and full of irony. Although it is said that his work had marked characteristics, always embarked on projects sui generis, when he thought they were attractive from the creative and intellectual point of view.

Among his interesting works with contributions to traditional media, is an animated film for children, which is now a cornerstone in the study of his work, although film was for him a more experimental, because of its ability to display images and play communicatively. Admittedly, many artists have been captivated by his movies, because on them the light and shadows play the same role as in a painting or other art, also he had a wonderful attraction for the moving image that captures. Perhaps because of its fundamentally visual that generated the union between arts (mostly painting) and film, we must remember that the first movies were called pictures in the U.S.

Varanda reflected in his work his strong character, while imposing a very personal sign in his films. His sudden death left an inconclusive career, mainly because of its experimental nature led him to work with formats, styles and unusual materials, do without the trauma of a world analog to digital.

That is why, he is considered one of the most interesting contemporary artists from Portugal, and to commemorate his work and the artist, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has developed the program Descobrir to be launched between 23^rd and 27^th of July, which aims to educate children while helping them to explore arts and meet the technical dimensions of painting, sculpture or drawing, beginning with the work Pequeño-almoço sobre cartolina. The children’s program is costs 15 €.

For more information: http://descobrir.gulbenkian.pt/index.php?article=4865&visual=2&area=3

Nancy Guzman

Art is food for the soul and nothing better than a vacation in your Lisbon accommodation for a wonderful soul therapy. Jorge Varanda’s exhibition a most do in Lisbon.

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Rock in Rio is one of the biggest rock festivals in history. It sounds that it is too much to say, but it is true. Its first edition was in January 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, event to which only 1.5 million people attended. In this first edition, there were some memorable performances by bands like Queen, Iron Maiden, AC / DC, Ozzy Osbourne and Yes. Rock in Rio, was celebrated once again in 1991 to raise glorious amounts of money, with over 500 thousand attendees. This striking return was also remembered for the comeback of Guns N ‘Roses, shortly before the release of their double album “Use Your Illusion.” That time, stars like Billy Idol, Happy Mondays, INXS, Megadeth and Judas Priest also attended, just to name a few. Since then, Rock in Rio is has been celebrated in more elaborated events, not only in Rio de Janeiro but also in Lisbon and Madrid. Rumor has it that the 2013 edition will be held in Buenos Aires in 2013, and one also in Barcelona in 2016.

If we are in times of global economic crisis, how is that a company can profit so much with shows of this quality? Music festivals during spring and summer in Europe are an institution of tourism and income opportunities for both local governments, airlines, hotels and other services for travelers. Therefore, great music festivals of all types gather people from all over the world in one huge space. The quality of the bands is not necessarily good, neither their sound nor their provided services. However, festivals like Rock in Rio are good excuses to escape the winter closure, meet new people, some dancing, partying and barbecue as well spending lots of money. For more information on Rock in Rio in Lisbon, visit the following website: http://rockinriolisboa.sapo.pt/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Lisbon and enjoy this important festival. Rock in Rio in Lisbon is one of the best excuses to leave home and discover the beautiful capital of Portugal.

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Typical dishes of Lisbon

So what does one eat in the Portuguese capital? As an appetizer, don’t miss the sardine pate or black olive tapenade. Whether winter or summer, your stomach will thank you for a delicious caldo verde, which is similar to the Gallician soup of turnip greens but made with kale. It may be accompanied by other vegetables and beans. Stemming from the long-standing maritime tradition in Portugal, there are a number of dishes based on “bacalhau”, or cod, served both salted as well as fresh. A tasty dish made with this fish called “bacalhau à Gomes de Sá” combines the cod with potatoes, onions, eggs and black olives. Meat lovers will enjoy “leitâo à bairreda”, a roast suckling pig served with salad or a spicy chicken dish with chilies called “frango à pri-pri”.

Of course, this succulent menu must be accompanied by some good drink. No visitor should go to Portugal without trying some of their fresh Vinho Verdes or some of their new red wines which are available all over the country. Lunch or dinner can be rounded off with a glass of port or Madeira, two types of sherry which have become internationally popular. And what about dessert? This, dear reader, deserves a special mention.

The sweets of Lisbon

The city of Tajo is full of marvelous pastry shops and emblematic cafes. We have already mentioned in this blog the modernist A Brasileira, in reference to the legend of Pessoa. But there are other places worth mentioning throughout the neighborhoods in Lisbon: Martinho in Arcada, in the very same Praça do Comercio; Nícola which is one of the oldest; Alcântara; Rosso, which boasts an interior patio, etc., etc.

But the traveler, whether or not he or she is either especially sweet-toothed or sybaritic, shouldn’t go to Lisbon without trying a marvelous and exquisite dessert made with a milk base (“pastéis de nata”), of cheese and cinnamon (“queijadas”), of almonds, eggs and green beans (“pastéis de feijâo”) or of sweet potatoes and almonds (“broas”). You can enjoy them in the store or cafe, take them to go or have them delivered by mail. The Confitería Nacional, for example, which has been open to the public since 1829 – practically two centuries – has an aristocratic tea salon in the first floor. The nearby Pastelería de Belén (“Antique House of Pastry of Bethlehem”), next to the Belen Tower, is the heir of the artisan tradition of the convents. They say that it was an expelled monk from the neighboring Jerónimos Monastery who founded the establishment which continues today to make jams, sweets, tarts and cookies.

Candela Vizcaíno

All the exquisite sweets (something for every sweet tooth!) can be ordered to go so you can enjoy them in your Lisbon accommodation or back home to remind you of your trip.

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D. Maria II Theatre in Lisbon

And on those lines we bring today a version of a universal classic, which was compiled, not written, by the famous Grimm Brothers. ‘The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was’, a co-production with practically all the theatres in Portugal that will be on stage until the 21st of April in the spectacular D. Maria II Theatre, right in the heart of Lisbon, at Praça do Rossio.

A visit to this neoclassic building that, on different occasions, such as many other spots in Lisbon and Portugal, suffered a great fire, will open your hunger in a search for beauty. Here’s the website of the event (http://www.teatro-dmaria.pt/Temporada/detalhe.aspx?idc=1827&ids=16), where the reader can find all the practical information details, such as performance days and sessions dedicated to children.

‘The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was’ by the Grimm Brothers. 

Even though the Grimm Brothers have gone down in cultural history as narrators, their major contribution was compiling. The large majority of their stories belonged (and still do) to the Central European culture collection, which was told by word of mouth, dispersed and spread around the continent with the modifications of each narrator. The brothers, who studied philology, travelled around these towns taking these narrations, systematizing them, putting them in order and, importantly, writing them. Because all of these stories were popular stories, and this is too long to explain on here, practically all of them answer to a scheme of legendary substratum based in three main points: 1) Hero’s exit from home, 2) Learning tests, 3) Achievement of the goal.

‘The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was’ does not escape this premise because the young protagonist, who was considered coarse and stupid at home, had to leave home and go and see the world, live adventures and overcome terrifying tests until he reached his prize. This search, like any other classic hero’s, is always of knowledge. He doesn’t know what fear is, in other words, he doesn’t fear death and, because of that, he looks further than the frontiers of anthropological space, to feel what he needs to become a complete man. The tests (spending the night outside sleeping with executed people, facing ghosts, infernal dogs or an old man -one of the most extended universal symbols- that puts him to the test with an anvil) end up achieving what he wanted, which was marrying the princess, the daughter of the king, a symbol of contrary union. Her, his alter-ego, his other half, her soul (according to analytic psychology) will be what will make him feel what he’s looking for.

Candela Vizcaíno

Without wanting to make an exhaustive text analysis of this great universal tale, this is a chance to enjoy this theatre in the Portuguese capital. Some days it’s played as a children’s adaptation so if you’re travelling with your whole family, it’s better if you book Lisbon accommodation

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The museum opened its doors on September 25, 1998, with a mission to raise awareness of the “urban songs of the city of Lisbon” and its deep relationship with identity, tradition and the history of Portugal. It has since been dedicated to bring together artists associated with the Fado and the Portuguese guitar that are directly or indirectly engaged in music, embracing the entire universe of Fado with instruments builders, garment making, history of the typical places where people dance and listen to Fado, musicians, performers, dancers, composers, and everything that shapes this wonderful art.

One of the activities taking place at the Museum, in addition to permanent and temporary exhibitions of great interest, is a singing tour scheduled for one day each week. This has recognized Fado artists that the end of the tour, delight the audience with music and dance. To view this show should telephone the museum and book your seats. I recommend you do this in advance consulting the time schedule of the artists who each week perform at the museum with the website link attached below, and book at least two or three days in advance, since they are first level artists that perform. The price is very economical, not exceeding 5 euros and the  guided tour is approximately at 16:30 hrs. A Wonderful experience that you can not miss!.

For more information visit: http://www.museudofado.pt/calendario/detalhes.php?id=167

Luz Obscura

Pure feeling and nostalgia, the Fado Museum invites you to rent apartments in Lisbon and attend its tours with songs, a feast for the senses.

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The aim of this exhibition is to present the history of half a century of Portuguese art and provide a critical look at what happened at the museum during that period, sometimes it distanced itself and others it followed the currents of contemporary art .

The exhibition is based as an objective, so that with the collections there is information on the historical process of the institution, making it clear that every decision taken by management of the museum was part of the current policy.

Between 1959 and 1967 the museum suffered a loss that led to a period of cultural decline with the appointment of painter Eduardo Malta as a director. His mishandling were a setback for the museum’s collections, which worsened when he died (1967) being replaced during three years by his wife Dulce Malta. This joke manifests the low importance contemporary art had for the official Portuguese culture.

While director Maria de Lourdes Bartholo (1970 and 1987) was prone to showing contemporary art, incorporating the museum’s collection works of the painter and illustrator Paula Rego and sculptor Jorge Vieira, she was unable to keep up to pace with the culture statue the Carnation Revolution of 1974 imposed -which meant the overthrow of the Salazar dictatorship that ruled from 1926 and the independence of all Portuguese colonies, which only lasted two years, but set a brisk pace in the culture and art world .

Since the late 80′s and mid-nineties (1988-1994), led by Rachel da Silva Henriquez, the museum underwent a reorganization process  completed by the French architect Jean Michel Wilmotte, who was famous interior designer who redesigned the private apartments of François Mitterrand in the Elysee Palace. At the end of this process, the museum opened its doors with new energy and a coherent project, being named then Museu do Chiado.

From that moment, the museum sought to support its project, establishing a meeting point between the study and dissemination of the collections exposed and bought, with a schedule of temporary exhibitions and publications that have been among the most renowned museums internationally, a task that has been extended and deepened by the direction of Pedro Lapa.

In recent years the collection has expanded to include the second half of the twentieth century and includes other artistic areas such as photography and video. The artists and private donations, as deposits of artists, have been instrumental in the collection of the Museu do Chiado because of limited public resources which are allocated to new acquisitions.

For more information http://www.museudochiado-ipmuseus.pt/en/node/1225

Nancy Guzman

If you like live unique moments, nothing is better to rent apartments in Lisbon and dive into the streets of Alfama or El Alto to hear live fado after visiting the Museum of Chiado.

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The exhibition is curated by Isabel Carlos, and is organized around paintings and collages, plus a mobile on vinyl that was created especially for the CAM warehouse. This work is called The Four Seasons and is represented by four large boxes.

The publisher Hatje Cantz published on the occasion of the exhibition, a book with Milhazes’s work with the assitance of CAM – Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Fondation Beyeler. The book is beautifully illustrated and translated into Portuguese, German and English.

Beatriz Milhazes was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1960. She studied at the School of Visual Arts of Parque Lage and social communication. She is a painter, engraver, illustrator and teacher. Her work can be framed in the context of design for her spectacular color psychedelic graphics and ordered geometric constructions heavily influenced by culture and daily Brazilian aesthetics.

Criticism has conceptualized her in not a very friendly manner, often reducing her work to just a nice mix of colors and shapes used to decorate, but lacking in content of ideas, something that has left her out of some circuits of more severe and radical contemporary art However, her baroque architecture of colors and shapes tells of a complex world where chaos and order are part of a whole, that is her world, Brazil.

Milhazes works with the juxtaposition of colors and shapes, which leads inevitably to physical geography, to the human and social development of her country, with colorful textures that are strong and vibrant and sometimes, violent. Arabesque works in monochrome which join in a riot of color as a necessary break to give balance to her artwork.

In her collages she uses various kinds of materials, many of them are commonly used in everyday life and also made from recycled items such as candy wrappers, or simply black and white and glossy papers, fluorescent and prints, to give the appearance of freshness, of fun to  the aesthetics of the carnival in the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

Each work of Milhazes is a constant search for new materials, knowledge and a test of new techniques and forms, which makes interesting the use of her acquired knowledge. Her sense of design has led her to work in illustrating the book One Thousand and One Night in the Light of Day: Scheherazade Tells Arab Stories by the Brazilian artist Katia Canton.

For more information: http://www.cam.gulbenkian.pt/index.php?article=71435&visual=2&langId=1

Nancy Guzman

This is a beautiful exhibition that invites us to meet spring, so you rent Lisbon accommodation �and leave behind the intense cold winter.

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So that you can go there prepared and don’t have to keep asking which are the most traditional and favourite dishes of the Lisbonites on your trip to this city, here is some information on three delicious dishes that you can sample during your stay there and where you can go to eat them.

Without doubt, the most popular dish in Lisbon is the bacalhau (cod), which is prepared in 365 different ways. However, the most delicious of them all and the most typical is the Bacalhau com natas. This is a strong dish made for rough seamen.

The ingredients are: cod, sliced potatoes, olive oil, onion, black pepper, butter, cream and bay leaves. The preparation is quite sophisticated because you have to fry the potatoes and the onions and then add the shredded cod with the pepper. Finally, you add the bechamel sauce and you bake it for 30 minutes. Delicious.

A place to try it is Casa de Linares / Bacalhau de Molho. It’s a beautiful place with old, arched ceilings and rustic walls, where they prepare the best bacalhau com natas in the city and where you can listen to live fado. It’s located on Beco dos Armazéns do Linho 2.

Feijoada is another culinary wonder that you cannot miss on your gastronomical route. Its flavour is so intense that it became the national dish of Brazil. This is a dish born amongst poverty, that has everything to be able to carry out a long day of work. It’s prepared with black beans, onion, garlic, tomato, potatoes and smoked meat. It’s a stew served in a big dish.

Atira-te a O Rio is a rustic restaurant located next to the Taugus river that has wonderful views of Lisbon and the best feijoada in a buffet. Before dropping by the buffet for the feijoada, you can order prawns with garlic and white wine, you won’t regret it. It’s located on Rua do Ginjal 67.

Another dish that’s recommended is the porco a la alentejana, which is a typical dish from the area close to Galicia. It’s prepared with diced pork, potatoes, clams, tomatoes, a lot of garlic, onion, black pepper, coriander, vinagre and olive oil. It’s a dry dish that’s served with good red wine and bread.

And, of course, the best place to eat this dish is Casa do Alentejo. It’s a very interesting restaurant because you go into it through a discreet door and its inside is very big with 1940s aesthetic. It’s located on Rua das Portas de Santo Antao 58.

For more information: http://www.casadoalentejo.pt/

Nancy Guzman

With all these prospects to sample, you just have to rent apartments in Lisbon Do it now so that you don’t miss a week of gastronomical pleasure in this city.

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She is largely known as Feist and you’ve definitely heard at least one of her songs, the one that was in the advert for the Lacoste men’s fragrance Essencial, ‘Mushaboom’, do you know it?

‘Metals’ is the same of Feist’s latest album, which was released in 2011. The album has inspired a world tour in 2012 where she will visit Australia, Indonesia, practically the whole of Europe and the USA.

‘Metals’ is her 5th studio album in her career since she released ‘Monarch’ in 1999 followed by ‘Let it die’ in 2004, ‘Open Season’ in 2006 and ‘The Reminder’ in 2007.

Leslie Feist, daughter of artists, was born in Nova Scotia. At a young age she was already singing in chorus’ of other bands and later on she won a local band competition whose prize was a show in the 1993 Infest Festival. That was the perfect warmup for the formation of her first serious band, Broken Social Scene, very popular in Toronto.  But her solo career is the one that has brought her the most success.  She also sung and produced with the band Kings of Convenience. With ‘Let it die’ she won two awards (best new artist and best alternative rock album) with an album that sold over 500,000 copies. One of her most famous songs came in 2007 thanks to a collaboration with Sally Seltmann, ’1234′, which is included in the album ‘The Reminder’, and her fame increased a lot when she appeared in an advert for the iPod Nano. The result? #8 on the USA charts and in the top ten downloads.

The new album has also had a good reception, which has come partly thanks to the boost from ’1234′. But despite this boost, ‘Metals’ has little in common with ‘Mushaboom’ or ’1234′. THe time that the artist has taken to relax after her most successful era has been used to create the 12 new tracks in ‘Metals’ with total freedom. It’s a fresh and natural album where we can listen to a group of instruments that are more or less new in her music and that manage to achieve a nice final effect.

If you want to enjoy the latest from Feist and her greatest hits live, the Lisbon Coliseum awaits with tickets that start at 29 euros.

http://www.listentofeist.com/

Pedro Paterna

When you go to see Feist, don’t forget to visit the wonderful Portuguese capital. If you come across any problems trying to find accommodation in Lisbon, remember that there is plenty of Lisbon accommodation to rent within your reach, which will give you maximum comfort during your stay.

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So here are five pieces of advice so that you can make the most of your stay and enjoy the best menus and cocktails at affordable prices, just like the times are calling for.

We recommend that you don’t accept any small tapas or olives before your meal in any restaurant in Lisbon, because that’s charged on top of it at very high prices. To eat cheap, find the more modest places which are all over the city and offer the prato do dia, which will be announced on the door. There, the menus are around 5 euros and generally include typical cuisine.

A good example of this type of restaurants is O Pucaro, located on Praça da Alegria 38. There you can eat excellent meat or fish dishes accompanied by a glass of wine, either sitting down or at the bar for less than 5 euros. Here you will only find Portuguese workers eating.

Rio Coura is another place to unleash yourself in the adventure of eating in Lisbon. It’s a very small place, a tad rustic, and the tables are joined with each other. The building has an old façade and it’s located in the Barrio Alfama. Its speciality is fish and seafood cooked with traditional flavours. Rice with seafood is delicious, a little bit spicy, but unique, and it costs 6.5 euros. Everything that you eat has its own price.

Casa de la India, located on Rua do Loreto 40, is a classic Lisbon restaurant and on its walls we can see the colonial past of Portugal. The menu changes every day, is written by hand, and it’s stuck to the door of the restaurant. Its menus are the perfect mix of typical cuisine with some ingredients that give it a slight oriental twist. There’s cod with creamy potatoes and large portions of pork chops, porco preto, for 5 euros. All drinks and other food are added on prices.

At Casa das Bifana you can have some delicious soup for 1 euro, which is a good alternative for those cold days that chill your body. It’s located on Praça da Figueira 7A.

To dance all night and have a drink for 5 euros, nothing better than Incognito, on Rua Polais de São Bento 37, Baixa. It’s got a new age atmosphere and 70s and 80s music.

Tasca do Chico is a traditional bar-restaurant where there’s live fado every night. It’s located on Rua do Diario de Noticias 39. There, you can have a mojito for 4 euros and spend all night listening to nostalgic songs. The fado session begins at 10pm, so get there early to get a table.

Nancy Guzman

So now you see, you don’t need a lot of money to have a good time on your holiday, especially if you rent apartments in Lisbon which have the best prices on the market, and follow this advice.

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